Tip of The Week : Networking
February 4, 2019

Every week we share a tip of the week during our friday team meeting at Flow Pilots. Sharing is caring so we would love to share our most valuable tips with you. This week we talked about “A mobile love story”, a networking event in Antwerp.

It may sound like a modern version of Romeo and Juliet that someone brought up due to Valentine’s day next week, but that’s not quite the case. A mobile love story is in fact a meet up for developers across all platforms.

Organized by Spilberg, a successful IT network company from Belgium, the event is held to help developers connect, share tips and have a good time. But why are this kind of events so important?

All about networking

Last week two of our developers went all the way to London to be part of the NDC London 2019, a three day event where IT lovers from all over the world share their passion and interest for technology and development.

“Networking has been cited as the number one unwritten rule of success in business. Who you know really impacts what you know.” – Sallie Krawcheck

The point is to meet people face to face, within your own community, who have an interest in common with you. Besides that, a lot of people show up to network. Make contact with people in the same industry, give out some business cards and meet the right person at the right time.

Even at the bar during happy hour there is a possibility you’ll meet someone that will be your next client or partner in crime (or business, whatever you want to call it). The art of it all is to find the right balance between small talk and talking business. Once you master the technique of networking, you will understand why it is so important to get to know the people in the same industry. You never know who you will cross paths with.

Sharing information

We can get information on every topic imaginable, at anytime and from anywhere. So why do developers feel the need to attent events to educate themselves?

Over the years technology and development have been growing fast. Tech meetups are the perfect solution to keep up with the advancements. Meetups offer a clear insight about the market which could be useful for personal growth.

Also almost every IT meetup invites speakers. It’s a great way to get inexpensive education, you get to meet experts and have the opportunity to ask a lot of questions. They can share their deep knowledge and add some personal experience to it.

Food, drinks and laughs

Let’s not forget that people go to meetups to have fun and relax. You will get the chance to be around others with the same interest as you without having to be in a work environment. Share funny stories, connect with people while enjoying food and drinks. It really comes down to finding a balance between relaxing and gathering information.

I’m not here to convince you that tech meetups are the missing key in your career, but A Mobile Love Story in Antwerp certainly is. The new edition of the IT Dev cafe on 27th of February will have burgers and drinks, two experts Paul Lorena and Stephane Konstantaropoulos speaking on mobile development and software engineering and will give you the chance to meet other developers.